Remember When? Photos of Room 7, Knipe Auditorium and stained glass windows bring back memories of Fairhaven High School

Thursday

Nov 8, 2012 at 12:10 PM

By Myra A. Lopes

By Myra A. Lopes

Correspondent

FAIRHAVEN — There are so many special memories for those of us who attended the Castle on the Hill. High on the list are Room 7, the Knipe Auditorium and the beautiful stained glass windows.

Mabel Knipe once told me during an interview that if you surround students with nice things and beauty, you will get that back from them in another way. She said it rubs off on those who become a part of their surroundings. It definitely has an effect on their behavior, their attitude, and their demeanor.

She said, "Even teachers react differently by being in a building with architectural beauty."

Oftentimes people who drive by Fairhaven High School wonder if it is a castle. If they get an opportunity to visit it and see the exquisite wood paneling, ivory carving, Italian tiles, fireplaces, stained-glass windows, and gorgeous chandeliers, it is not what one would expect in a public high school.

Room 7, what makes that room so special? Henry Huttleston Rogers wanted it to be the best room in the building because he knew many students ended their formal education after completing their four years in high school. His wish was to have the room so attractive that it would encourage students to want to continue their education.

Everyone who had homeroom in Room 7 can tell you in what row and what seat they sat in! Often they recall who sat next to them, behind them, or ahead of them.

Since I was a fourth grader, I knew I was going to be a teacher. When I was a senior at Fairhaven High School, Room 7 was my homeroom. Our seats were assigned in alphabetical order. That was the room I went to at the beginning of each school day, and that was where I returned at the end of the school day to put my books in my desk or retrieve books I would need for my homework.

Often many of us had study periods in Room 7. Were there ever any special programs held in that room? No. Did we have class sessions there? No. Were speakers invited in? No. Did we have special movies shown there? No.

So, what made that Room 7 so loved, so special by all who had it as their homeroom during their senior year? I don't know if there is an answer.

I asked a few people what stands out in their mind about being a student in Room 7.

One of my close friends said, "Do you remember when Mr. Noyer had Room 7 as a study hall? A few kids acted up in the back of the room and Mrs. Martin, whose office was directly outside of the front door of Room 7, heard the commotion. She came to the door opening and put her arm against the casing. She leaned against that arm. She didn't say a word. She just stood there. The stillness was overwhelming. When she left, Mr. Noyer never looked up from his desk. There was not a sound in that room until the bell rang to change to the next class."

Someone else said, "It was an honor and a pleasure to attend Fairhaven High School. When I returned to FHS after college to accept a teaching position, I remember sitting at my desk in Room 7 and looking out over the bigness of the room. 'I've arrived!' I thought."

Another alumni said, "Being all together in the one spacious beautiful room as seniors was bonding. We could not get up and move around, nor could we go to a friend to ask for help in a particular subject. But there was a comforting feeling of finally making it to your senior homeroom."

"I have seen many big and beautiful buildings in my travels, but what we have here in Fairhaven High School is unparalleled. Other buildings don't have that level of beautiful decoration. Our building is unique. I always like to go to Room 7."

What about the Knipe Auditorium? Is that room as unique? Here are some comments from those who have been there.

"I remember many outstanding band and jazz concerts we had in that auditorium. The acoustics are fantastic. Mr. Clarkson was our conductor." "I took Mrs. Knipe's public speaking class and as a culminating exam we each had to give a 10-minute talk on the stage. It seemed like an eternity, but we all got through it. What a lesson in building confidence." " Our Honor Society induction was held on that stage. I can still see the candles lighted on the table in the center of the stage. Only four students were inducted that year. The ceremony was formal and emotional." "I recall when Paul Peralta-Ramos was the guest speaker. The auditorium was being dedicated to Mrs. Mabel Hoyle Knipe. While praising Mrs. Knipe, Mr. Ramos referred to her as Mrs. K Nipe. There were lots of smiles among the students." "I loved the programs our chorus had on that stage. The girls wore long black skirts and white blouses and the boys wore black trousers, white shirts and tie. Our music selections were outstanding. Mr. Santos was our conductor."

I also asked people about the stained glass windows. More than 90 percent of the comments were related to the significance of how the light hit each pane of glass showing off their real beauty at certain times throughout the day.

Not a person was without words of appreciation for what it was like to attend Fairhaven High School. The pride of being a student in that beautiful architectural gem was obvious.

To do this assignment "Remember When" was the easiest task for me as a writer for the Advocate. It was lots of fun. My own words were echoed over and over again by others who had the same privilege I had of attending the beautiful Castle on the Hill.

We proudly admitted how fortunate we were to have had that exceptional opportunity to attend a public high school with all the amenities of the privileged few.